10.18.2008

A law protecting the dignity of plants? Laugh if you will. I’m down on my knees in respect and awe. At last the Western World is realizing the dire importance of taking other species into account.

Recently, the Swiss Parliament asked a panel of philosophers, lawyers, geneticists and theologians to determine the meaning of dignity when it pertains to plants.

Lo and Behold, the team published a treatise on “the moral consideration of plants for their own sake.” The treatise established that vegetation has innate value and that it is morally wrong to partake in activities such as the “decapitation of wildflowers at the roadside without rational reason.”

10.16.2008

Italian archaeologists have discovered the tomb of the ancient Roman hero believed to have inspired Russell Crowe's character in the hit movie "Gladiator," Rome's officials announced on Thursday at a press conference.Marble beams and columns, carvings and friezes first emerged from the Roman soil during construction work to build a residential complex in Saxa Rubra, not far from the headquarters of Rai, Italy's state-run television station.

It is perhaps the last great Antarctic expedition - to find an explanation for why there is a great mountain range buried under the White Continent.The Gamburtsevs match the Alps in scale but no-one has ever seen them because they are covered by up to 4km of ice.Geologists struggle to understand how such a massif could have formed and persisted in the middle of Antarctica.Now, an international team is setting out on a deep-field survey to try to get some answers.The group comprises scientists, engineers, pilots and support staff from the UK, the US, Germany, Australia, China and Japan.

10.15.2008

If you're getting a lot of unsolicited telemarketer calls (and who isn't?), you'll want to sign up on Canada's National Do Not Call registry. This registry is open for residential, wireless, VoIP numbers and faxes.

Unfortunately, the list does not prevent calls from political parties, registered charities, and business with whom you have an existing business relationship. Still, it's free and easy -- and it will cut down on a lot of unwanted calls.